FOREVER BEAUTIFUL: Pump up the volume

Every Monday, Elsa answers a reader's big beauty query and presents the best buys to perk up your week...

Would products for pumping up hair volume be suitable for me? I have fine, flyaway grey hair, which is not coloured. Jean, 77, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

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Big hair: It¿s important to avoid products that just make your hair feel sticky and heavy rather than giving it a bit of oomph. Instead, look out for products that also add shine and moisture, as this will make hair look healthier.

Often, hair can become thinner and lose volume as we age.

It’s not necessarily that you have fewer hairs, but the diameter of each hair follicle shrinks with age, leaving strands thinner.

They can also become more flyaway and affected by static. Since hair growth slows as we age, any breakages become more noticeable.

Nadia Peacock, brand director of RapidHair (£69.99, lookfantastic.com), a treatment that invigorates the scalp and makes hair healthier, says: ‘Ageing hair can be more delicate, so it’s important to look after it with a gentle shampoo and regular conditioning treatment.

‘But there is no harm in using products to create volume, too — they will help create the illusion of fuller, thicker hair, giving you a more youthful appearance. Try to use something that has a leave-in conditioning aspect, to help protect against brittleness and breakage.’

It’s important to avoid products that just make your hair feel sticky and heavy rather than giving it a bit of oomph. Instead, look out for products that also add shine and moisture, as this will make hair look healthier.

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Philip Kingsley Maximizer (£22, philipkingsley.co.uk) keeps flyaway hair under control while also using protein and conditioners to make hair healthier, while Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Biotin+ Volume Shampoo and Conditioner (£4.99, Boots) restores the health of the roots, making them stand up and giving greater volume.

A volumising shampoo and conditioner that helps to calm frizz and flyaway hair can work.

I have seen excellent results with Nanogen Thickening Treatment Shampoo For Women, and Conditioner (from £7.97, Boots). The formula includes redensifying peptides, and made a difference from the first wash.

And Head & Shoulders Extra Thickening Treatment (£9.99, Boots) is especially formulated for fine hair, promising to ‘double’ the look of hair from its first use. You spray it along your parting up to 15 times before blow-drying. I gave this one to a 46-year-old tester with fine, naturally blonde hair.She says her hair definitely looked thicker and it also felt healthier and more robust.

It didn’t dry her hair out as a lot of products do, so it looked natural and left plenty of movement.

Email me your questions at elsa@dailymail.co.uk

ELSA'S PICK

The trend for neat, carefully defined eyebrows is here to stay. Try Benefit’s Gimme Brow (£17.50, benefitcosmetics.co.uk), a water-resistant gel which is great for filling in sparse brows.Press it on, then spread with the brush to blend. Start gently by using a small amount, then gradually build up the colour — it comes in two shades — to find the perfect shape and colour for you.

UNSUNG HERO

Sally Hansen’s White Pencil (£3, Boots) is one of the most useful products in my make-up bag. For well-groomed nails, apply a coat of pale pink polish or a base coat, then freshen up the tips of your nails with this white pencil.It works best if you moisten the pencil slightly — and you need to keep it sharpened. The effect won’t last more than a day, but it will make your nails look respectable when you have no time for a manicure.

BARGAIN BUY

The new Lip Lacquers from Gosh (£5.99, Superdrug from mid-March) come in nail polish-style pots, with brushes to apply the colours. The idea is that painting on the shades gives perfect coverage and long-lasting colour, and they’re not too drying either.

FACE TIME

Olay has renamed its Wrinkle Relaxing Complex serum. It’s now called 10 Minute Miracle (£29.99, Boots) — the time Olay says it takes to see results. Apply after cleansing and moisturising for a smoother finish.

TREATS TO MAKE YOUR MONDAY MARVELLOUS

Next week Revlon’s new Parfumerie
Scented Nail Enamel Collection hits the shops. They come in 20 scents
and shades, with classic and on-trend colours to pick from.

Pick scents from fruit and floral, sweet and spice, or fresh — I tried Espresso and Lavender Soap.

Smelling of something other than nail polish has got to be a bonus (£6.49, Boots).

Melvita’s
Rose Nectar Moisturising Mask, (£21, John Lewis) uses hyaluronic acid
to give skin an instant boost, so it’s great to use before a night out.

Apply
a light layer, leave for at least five minutes, then use a cotton pad
soaked in toner to remove. Unlike masks that are designed to draw out
impurities, this won’t cause spots, redness or irritation. Instead, you
get a dewy, healthy look we all desire.